News
‘Ingenious’ operators turn pragya into ‘chamber and hall’
Neccessity is the mother of invention, is a well known proverb which means difficult situations inspire ingenious solutions.
Some Rickshaw (pragya or Mahama can do) drivers at Alabar, suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Regional Capital, have turned their rickshaws into “chamber and a hall” and sleep in them at night.
And to make the place very comfortable for them to enjoy the night, these smart youngmen cover the rickshaws with insecticide treated bed nets to keep mosquitoes away from interfering with their sleep.
They, however, use the pragya to convey passengers during the day and use them as rooms at night.
The photographs depict riders living in the populated community with open gutters which breed a lot of mosquitoes.
Issahaku Mohammed, a rider who spoke with The SPECTATOR said, “it is for our own safety and a form of personal protection which has reduced malaria in the area.”
He said, they usually spent much time taking fresh air outside during the night, and in order not to be bitten by mosquitoes he used the bed nets as form of protection.
According to him, the bed nets served also as a barrier to prevent children from having access to the tricycles when they were left outside.
Hudu Zakaria, a scrap dealer also said he had been “sleeping in the tricycle under a treated mosquito net for the past three years” because he did not have accommodation.
He said, the insecticides used for treating bed nets “repel and kill mosquitoes, as well as other insects.”
Madam Agnes Amankwah, a retired nurse and a Licensed Over-the-Counter drug store owner in the area said “the protection that a mosquito net provides against malaria doubles when the net is treated with insecticide.”
She added that, the chemical used to treat the net would lose its effect if it was over exposed in the open and advised the people to change the nets as frequently as possible to make them effective in malaria prevention.
From Geoffrey Buta, Kumasi
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has temporarily suspended all date of birth changes on the Ghana Card across the country.
The suspension takes effect from Monday, November 9, 2026, and will remain in force until further notice.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Authority said the decision followed a review of its date of birth update process, which revealed the need for stronger safeguards.
The NIA said it was engaging key institutions, including the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Births and Deaths Registry, to strengthen the guidelines for processing such requests.
It explained that the consultations were aimed at ensuring a transparent, credible and standardised system for handling date of birth changes.
During the suspension, no new applications for date of birth changes will be accepted or processed at any NIA office nationwide. Requests already being processed will also not be approved.
The Authority said it would notify the public once the consultations were completed and the revised guidelines were ready.
It apologised for any inconvenience caused and appealed to the public for understanding and cooperation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Judicial Service of Ghana has announced the suspension of the industrial action by the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) and the Senior Staff Association of the Judicial Service of Ghana (SSAJUG).
In a press release dated November 9, 2026, the Judicial Service said the decision followed productive discussions between the leadership of the two associations and management, resulting in a mutual understanding.
It has consequently directed all staff to resume work with immediate effect, with courts across the country expected to resume normal sittings on Tuesday, November 10.
The Service expressed regret over the disruption caused by the strike and apologised to President John Dramani Mahama, the Executive arm of government, the Speaker of Parliament and Members of Parliament, the legal profession and the general public.
It particularly apologised to court users who experienced inconvenience during the industrial action.
The Judicial Service reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the smooth and timely delivery of justice and thanked stakeholders for their patience and understanding as efforts continue towards a lasting resolution of the issues raised.
By: Jacob Aggrey
